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America Gets a Pony CarIntroduced at the 1964 World's Fair, the Mustang (built with a "sporty, rakish flair") was Ford's most successful launch in 40 years, and ushered in a new type of affordable, compact auto, the "pony car." Priced under $2,500 and appearing in the James Bond film Goldfinger, the Mustang sold over a million units in just 18 months. An icon was born.

Hollywood's First High-Speed ChaseAs Lt. Frank Bullitt, Steve McQueen went head-to-head against a Dodge Charger R/T in the most famous pursuit in movie history. With its roaring 10-minute muscle-off, Bullitt added realism by introducing driver close-ups to the car chase. Hollywood follows suit to this day.

As Lt. Frank Bullitt, Steve McQueen went head-to-head against a Dodge Charger R/T in the most famous pursuit in movie history. With its roaring 10-minute muscle-off, Bullitt added realism by introducing driver close-ups to the car chase. Hollywood follows suit to this day.

America Goes HippyAt the peak of peace, love and Leary came this promo Mustang in two psychedelic colors: Groovy Green and Flower Power Red. Only 503 units were made (because hippies + muscle cars = no). You're lucky we didn't show you the green one.

And Then There Was OPECWith the gas hike of '73, Ford (the company, not the feckless prez) eviscerated the Mustang. By '77, the pony car was reduced to hitting 0-60mph in 14 seconds. American Top Gear chose this fugly wagon as the most uncool car ever.

The Racin' '80sThe result of a Wonder Twins-like teamup between Ford Design and McLaren Engines, the M81 was Ford's attempt to reinvigorate the Mustang brand with a 175HP stock car that also handled like a top-of-the-line racer. Ford scheduled 250 of these gas-guzzling grinders, which did 0-60mph in 9.76 seconds, but production was halted after just 10 cars — making the M81 one of the rarest Mustangs ever made.

America Gets a Cop CarAs the high-speed chase was becoming the official state sport, California Highway Patrol ordered a custom batch of badass ‘stangs. Over ten years, Ford built 15,000 Special Service Packages (SSPs), which became the standard cop car across the United States. O.J. Simpson never had a chance.

Birth of a Hip Hop StapleMustang sales slumped in the mid-80s (maybe because the headlights looked like an Escort?). Then Vanilla Ice — who was (unfortunately) busy mainstreaming hip hop — name-dropped the 5.0 in his #1 hit "Ice, Ice Baby" and "Rollin' in My 5.0." America was a parody of itself in 1990, and Ice was at the wheel. Because of their high HP and low cost (about 250 ponies for under $8K), this era of 'stangs was also popular with street racers and modders, ensuring the models had a long afterlife.

The Decade of FunLooking back, the '90s were an era of parachute-panted gaudiness and pre-terror naiveté. But in the moment, the decade was simply fun. In '93, the Mustang underwent a complete redesign, with the GT nabbing the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. Classic in design, the GT featured better handling, a dual-cockpit wraparound dash and some real '90s amenities — like keyless entry and a 230-watt, multi-speaker sound system with (!) CD player.

The Return of American PowerThe literally one-of-a-kind AV-X10, inspired by WWII-era fighter planes (right down to the pin-up doll graphics on the front quarter panels), fetched $250,000 at auction in 2009. In a way, this fifth-gen model was coming full circle: the Mustang originally acquired its name from the P-51 Mustang.

6th Generation

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

The United States of Eco-Conscious AmericaThe now sixth-generation of Mustang begins next year with this beaut. As the world’s technology leader, our country has never been more aware of its carbon footprint and, well, shrinking wallet. The SVO’s EcoBoost engine uses American techno-savvy to save green and — cutting emissions — be green.

6th Generation

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

The United States of Eco-Conscious AmericaThe now sixth-generation of Mustang begins next year with this beaut. As the world’s technology leader, our country never been more aware of its carbon footprint and, well, shrinking wallet. The SVO’s EcoBoost engine uses American techno-savvy to save green and, cutting emissions, be green.